Page 42 of It's a Wonderful Knife

Max’s cheek curved in a smile.

When the lights flickered, there were a few nervous gasps.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” I said calmly. “Mona said they have generators, remember?”

“True.” Gerald gave a weak smile. “Nothing to worry about, Penelope, dear.”

Penelope nodded, but her eyes were still wide. She winced when another loud crack of thunder sounded overhead, and the lights once more dimmed. “I sure wish this storm would just go away.”

Joey seemed glued to his grandfather’s side now. The wilder the storm got, the less rebellious he seemed. Joe looked happy to have his grandson’s attention, even if he did wince at the lightning now and then.

Time passed slowly with the wind howling outside the big house. Some of the farmhands wandered in and out of the house throughout the day, grabbing hot drinks and food. Mona had them watching the river conditions, and I suspected she was truly worried Richard might try and cross the river.

When Richard finally did come back into the big house, he was drenched. Mona insisted on getting him dry clothes, regardless of his protests. He seemed drained as he sat in the corner brooding. He downed three glasses of whiskey and didn’t touch any of the snacks that Elle provided.

I dozed off a few times because the whiskey made me sleepy, and the warm crackling fire was cozy. Max mostly read, sipping his drink and occasionally watching the others interact. His expression was alert, as if he was studying them, trying to figure out the rules of social interaction. Knowing Max, he was thinking about our conversation last night—about trying to find the good in others.

The rain stopped briefly in the late afternoon, and some of the guests took advantage of that to run to their cabins to grab some things. Max and I took a short walk, just to stretch our legs and get the blood pumping a bit. After inhaling the crisp clean air, I felt a little better. I didn’t like being stuck inside all day, and sitting too long made my muscles ache.

By the time Max and I got back to the main house after our walk, the rain had started again. We settled by the fire once more and went back to waiting for the storm to break. When Elle came in the room to announce it was time for dinner, a worried-looking Amelia approached me.

“Sheriff, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind going to check on Santiago?” She twisted her hands, her expression uneasy.

Frowning, I said, “Check on him how?”

She glanced out at the dark windows. “Well, he went to grab his medicine about two hours ago, and he hasn’t returned. He’s diabetic.”

Max wrinkled his brow. “Was his blood sugar off?”

“No, he just wanted to have his medicine with him in case. The meals here haven’t exactly been diabetic-friendly, and he figured it was best to be prepared.”

“Hmmm.” Max rubbed his chin. “I see.”

I shrugged. “Maybe he decided to stay in the cabin. He might have wanted some time away from the group.”

“No. He wouldn’t do that. He knows I’d be worried when he didn’t return.” She bit her bottom lip, her gaze pleading. “Please? It would mean the world to me.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I guess I can go look for him.” I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea. I’d spent the whole day avoiding the rain, so waltzing out into the storm had little appeal for me.

Max said gruffly, “Why Royce? Can’t you ask Mona to get the staff to find Santiago?” He grimaced when I looked at him. “It’s not your job to keep track of the guests, right?”

“Well, no, but if Amelia needs my help, I don’t mind helping.”

“But it’s dinnertime,” Max grumbled.

I glanced at Amelia, taking in her nervous gaze and the tension along her jaw. She truly seemed concerned about Santiago, and I had a hard time telling her to go find someone else to help her.

“I realize this isn’t your problem.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I’d go look for him myself, but I don’t know the ranch layout at all. I’d probably just get lost, and you’d have to come out looking for me too.” She sighed. “Just so you know, I… I did ask Ezra to send someone out after Santiago. He told me I was being a hysterical, silly woman and that men had a right to privacy.”

Max frowned. “He said that to you?”

She nodded. “Yes. He didn’t take me seriously at all. I’d ask Mona, but she’s so busy, and she looks overwhelmed. I didn’t want to bother her with my problems too.”

Sympathy pricked me at her plaintive tone. “I’ll go see what’s keeping him.”

“Really?” Amelia squeaked. “Oh, thank you, Sheriff.”

I smiled. “You can call me Royce.”